Chapter Six: The Political Economy of International Trade PDF

Chapter Six The Political Economy of International Trade 6-3 Opening Case Since 1974, international trade in the textile industry has been governed by a system of quotas known as the MultiFiber Agreement - Designed to protect textile producers in developed nations from foreign competition T...

Chapter Six The Political Economy of International Trade 6-3 Opening Case Since 1974, international trade in the textile industry has been governed by a system of quotas known as the MultiFiber Agreement - Designed to protect textile producers in developed nations from foreign competition The World Trade Organization agreed to let the MFA expire on December 31, 2004 - In 2003 China was making 17% of the world’s textiles - By 2007 the WTO expects that China may make up to 50% of the world’s textiles McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6-4 Opening Case Trade associations from more than 50 textile-producing nations signed the ‘Istanbul Declaration’ in 2004 - Requested that the WTO delay the removal of quotas - The request was denied The result of the removal of quotas is that China’s increased production could cripple the economies of countries like Bangladesh Even though China has increased export tariffs, many see this as a token gesture In the first three months of 2005, imports of Chinese textiles into the US surged 62% compared with the same period in 2004 McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6-5 Instruments of Trade Policy: Tariffs Tariffs are the oldest form of trade policy; they fall into two categories - Specific tariffs are levied as a fixed charge for each unit - Ad valorem tariffs are levied as a proportion of the value of the imported good Tariffs are good for government because they generate revenue Tariffs protect domestic producers but they reduce efficiency Tariffs are bad for consumers because they increase the cost of goods McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6-6 Instruments of Trade Policy: Subsidies Government payment to a domestic producer - Cash grants - Low-interest loans - Tax breaks - Government equity participation in the company Subsidy revenues are generated from taxes Subsidies encourage over-production, inefficiency and reduced trade McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6-7 Instruments of Trade Policy: Quotas Import quota - Restriction on the quantity of some good imported into a country Voluntary export restraint (VER) - Quota on trade imposed by exporting country, typically at the request of the importing country McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6-8 Hypothetical Tariff Rate Quote McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6-9 Instruments of Trade Policy: Local Content Requires some specific fraction of a good to be produced domestically - Percent of component parts - Percent of the value of the good Initially used by developing countries to help shift from assembly to production of goods. Developed countries (US) beginning to implement For component parts manufacturer, LCR acts the same as an import quota Benefits producers, not consumers McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 10 Instruments of Trade Policy: Administrative Policies Bureaucratic rules designed to make it difficult for imports to enter a country - France – video tapes Japanese ‘masters’ in imposing rules - Tulip bulbs - Federal Express McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 11 Instruments of Trade Policy: Antidumping Policies Defined as - Selling goods in a foreign market below production costs - Selling goods in a foreign market below fair market value Result of - Unloading excess production - Predatory behavior Remedy: seek imposition of tariffs McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 12 Political Arguments for Intervention Protecting jobs and industries - CAP (Europe) and VER National security - Defense industries - semiconductors Retaliation - Punitive sanctions McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 13 Political Arguments for Intervention Protecting consumers - Genetically engineered seeds and crops - Hormone treated beef Furthering foreign policy objectives - Helms-Burton Act - D’Amato Act Protecting human rights - MFN McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 14 Economic Arguments for Intervention Infant industry - Oldest argument - Alexander Hamilton, 1792 - Protected under the WTO - Only good if it makes the industry efficient - Brazil auto-makers - 10th largest - wilted when protection eliminated - Requires government financial assistance Today if the industry is a good investment, global capital markets would invest McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 15 Economic Arguments for Intervention Strategic trade policy - Government should use subsidies to protect promising firms in newly emerging industries with substantial scale economies - Governments benefit if they support domestic firms to overcome barriers to entry created by existing foreign firms McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 16 Development of the World Trading System Intellectual arguments for free trade - Adam Smith and David Ricardo Free trade as government policy - Britain’s (1846) repeal of the Corn Laws Britain continued free trade policy - Fear of trade war McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 17 Development of the World Trading System Great Depression - US stock market collapse - Smoot-Hawley tariff (1930) Almost every industry had its “made to order tariff” Foreign response was to impose own barriers US exports tumbled McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 18 Development of the World Trading System GATT - multilateral agreement established in 1948 under US leadership - Objective is to liberalize trade by eliminating tariffs, subsidies, and import quotas - 19 original members grew to 120 McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 19 Development of the World Trading System Used ‘rounds of talks’ to gradually reduce trade barriers Uruguay Round GATT 1986-93 - Mutual tariff reductions negotiated - Dispute resolution only if complaints were received McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 20 Disturbing Trends in the World Trading System Pressure for greater protectionism due to - Increase in the power of Japan’s economic machine and closed Japanese markets - US trade deficit - GATT circumvented by many countries Through use of VER McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 21 GATT Criticisms Economic theories don’t fit the ‘real world’ model US global preeminence has declined Shift from cutting tariffs to eliminating nontariff barriers angered countries ‘National Treatment’ or ‘Most Favored Nation’ status results in inequalities McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 22 The World Trade Organization The WTO was created during the Uruguay Round of GATT to police and enforce GATT rules Most comprehensive trade agreement in history Formation of WTO had an impact on - Agriculture subsidies (stumbling block: US/EU) - Applied GATT rules to services and intellectual property (TRIPS) - Strengthened GATT monitoring and enforcement McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 23 The WTO 145 members in 2003 Represents 90% of world trade 9 of 10 disputes satisfactorily settled Tariff reduction from 40% to 5% Trade volume of manufactured goods has increased 20 times McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 24 The WTO Policing organization for: - GATT - Services - Intellectual property Responsibility for trade arbitration: - Reports adopted unless specifically rejected - After appeal, failure to comply can result in compensation to injured country or trade sanctions McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 25 WTO at Work 280 disputes brought to WTO between 1995 and 2003 196 handled by GATT during its 50 year history US is biggest WTO user - Big wins: beef - bananas - Big loss: Kodak McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 26 The WTO -Achievements Telecommunications (1997) - 68 countries - 90% of world telecommunications revenues - Pledged to open their market to fair competition Financial Services (1997) - 95% of financial services market - 102 countries will open their markets to varying degrees McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 27 WTO in Seattle Millennium round was aimed at further reduction of trade barriers in agriculture and services WTO meeting disrupted by - Human rights groups - Trade unions - Environmentalists - Anti globalization groups No agreement was reached McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 28 Doha Agenda -WTO Cutting tariffs on industrial goods and services Phasing out subsidies Reducing antidumping laws WTO regulation on intellectual property should not prevent members from protecting public health - TRIPS agreement McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 6 - 29 Looking Ahead to Chapter 7 Foreign Direct Investment in the World Economy Horizontal Foreign Direct Investment Vertical Foreign Direct Investment Implications for Managers McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Business, 6/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved.